Tammy Baldwin: “today we have before us one of the most irresponsible budgets I have seen. Republicans have made their priorities…”

“today we have before us one of the most irresponsible budgets I have seen. Republicans have made their priorities crystal clear. Their number one priority in this budget is making room for a $1.35 trillion tax cut that will benefit the very wealthiest of Americans. They are doing this at the expense of programs that constitute the very safety net of this country and on the backs of hard-working Americans. This careless Republican budget will have dire ramifications for many. Republicans cut most education programs by 8.3 percent. They reduced the maximum Pell grant award. They do not provide enough money for a meaningful prescription drug benefit. They cut funding for the National Institutes of Health by over $3 billion, and would reduce Medicaid spending by $163 billion. This is irresponsible. To make matters worse, at this very moment, this country is at war. We have nearly a quarter million servicemembers deployed near Iraq. Despite this, Republicans have proposed $14.6 billion in cuts to veterans programs. We must stop neglecting the health care needs of our veterans. We promised to eliminate the VA case backlog that is currently at a point near crisis. We must deliver the quality health care that was promised to those who have served to protect American lives and interests around the world. For far too long, the Federal Government has turned its back on our Nation's veterans and the promises made to them.”